Sirach 23

1O Lord, Father and Master of my life, Do not leave me to their counsel, Nor let me fall because of them.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

2Who will set whips over my thoughts And the discipline of wisdom over my heart, So they may not spare me in my errors, nor neglect me in my sins?

Greek verse alignment unresolved

3Lest my mistakes be multiplied And my sins abound. Then I would not fall before my adversaries, And my enemy would not rejoice over me.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

4O Lord, Father and the God of my life, do not give me haughty eyes,

Greek verse alignment unresolved

5But turn me away from evil desire.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

6Do not let gluttony or lust overcome me, Nor give me up to a shameless soul.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

7My children, hear the teaching of my mouth, For he who keeps it will not be conquered.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

8A sinner will be overtaken by his lips, And a slanderer and arrogant man will be made to stumble by them.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

9Do not accustom your mouth to vows, Nor make a habit of using the name of the Holy One.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

10For as a servant who is continually beaten will not lack bruises, So also he who makes a vow and continually names the Holy One Will never be cleansed from sin.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

11A man who swears many oaths will be filled with lawlessness, And that plague will not depart from his house. If he offends, his sin will be on him, And if he overlooks it, he has sinned doubly. If he swears in vain, he will not be declared righteous, For his house will be filled with trouble.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

12There is a way of speaking comparable to death. May it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob; For all these things will be far from the godly, And they will not be involved in sins.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

13Do not accustom your mouth to lewd expressions, For this is sinful speech.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

14Remember your father and mother When you sit in council with great men, Lest you forget yourself in their presence And by habit act foolishly. Then you will wish you had never been born, And you will curse the day of your birth.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

15A man accustomed to abusive words Will never discipline himself as long as he lives.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

16Two kinds of men multiply sins, And a third kind will bring down wrath:

Greek verse alignment unresolved

17A soul heated like a burning fire Will not be quenched until it is consumed; A man whose whole body is given to fornication Will not cease until the fire burns out. To a man who is a fornicator, all bread is sweet. He will not grow weary until he dies.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

18The man who transgresses against his marriage bed Says to himself, 'Who sees me? Darkness encircles me. The walls of my house hide me, And no one sees me. Why should I be afraid? The Most High will not remember my sins.'

Greek verse alignment unresolved

19His fear is the eyes of men.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

20Yet he does not know that the eyes of the Lord Are ten thousand times brighter than the sun And look upon all the ways of men, And observe even the secret places. Before all things were created, Everything was known to Him, And the end of all things is also known to Him.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

21This adulterer will be punished in the city streets, And where he does not suspect it, he will be seized.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

22So also the woman who forsook her husband And brought in an heir by another man.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

23For she first disobeyed the law of the Most High; And second, she transgressed against her husband; And third, in her fornication she committed adultery And bore children by a stranger.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

24She will be brought before the assembly, And there shall be a visitation of her children.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

25Her children will not take root, And her branches will not bear fruit.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

26She will leave behind her memory as a curse, And her disgrace will not be blotted out.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

27Those left behind will know There is nothing better than the fear of the Lord; And there is nothing sweeter Than to give heed to the Lord's commandments.

Greek verse alignment unresolved